NEW DELHI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked its state chiefs to give their opinions on its idea of holding simultaneous national and state elections.

"The Chief Ministers have been asked if they concur with the BJP's position," a senior party leader was quoted by Hindustan Times newspaper as saying.

The chief ministers will have to submit their opinions by Feb. 28, it said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year made a strong pitch for holding national and state elections simultaneously, urging all political parties to rise above politics to consider the proposal.

Even India's independent Election Commission last year said it would be ready to hold simultaneous national and state elections from next year.

The next general elections are slated for 2019. But not all Indian states are scheduled to have polls that year. Polling takes place every five years in the country.